I'm a Bernie Backer and I Refuse to Support Hillary

I'm a Bernie Backer and I Refuse to Support Hillary

Hundreds of protestors gather to show their continued support for Bernie Sanders at a Bernie or Bust rally Tuesday, July 26, 2016 in Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: Gabrielle Mannino for Penn State/cc/flickr)

I used to think that the Democrats were the good guys and the Republicans were the bad guys. That's why I've only ever been registered and identified as a Democrat. The Democratic Party is the party of social justice that looks out for the less fortunate, right? The party of the middle class, advocating for equality and progress, while the Republican Party, is ... well ... stuck in the distant past.

I was correct about the Republican Party. But I was incredibly wrong about the Democratic Party. Yes, I'm a Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) supporter — specifically, I was a California delegate to the national convention. Yes, I'm also a millennial. No, I will not be supporting Hillary Clinton this November.

And also, let me clarify, no, I’m not a man. So don't call me sexist.

And now, the question on many progressives' minds: Can Clinton, the Democratic nominee, represent progressive voters and issues important to progressives?

She is against reinstating the Glass-Steagall Act. She is not a transparent politician; if she were, she would have released the transcripts of her speeches that she gave to Wall Street events — which by the way, must have been sheer, utter genius, considering how much she was paid to give those speeches.

She supported the 2008 Wall Street bailout. She supports the former Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.). She is not only pandering to Republicans for their support, but she is seeking the endorsement of President Nixon's former secretary of State, Henry Kissinger. She favors a federal $12 minimum wage, rather than $15.

I know what you're thinking, "But, but, but — all her recent speeches and statements seem progressive. Look at her nomination acceptance speech."

I hate to burst your bubble, but Clinton cannot be trusted — from big issues, like lying about emailing classified information from her private server, to small things, like lying about coming under sniper fire.

Now, maybe you're thinking that it's Clinton and her crony politics that are the problem, not the entire Democratic Party. I'll give you that. It's not the entire party. It's just too much of the party to make staying and fighting worth it.

It's like a good friend of mine says: It's an abusive relationship. You know it is so unhealthy to stay with this abusive person and that you deserve better. You know in reality that this person are not going to change. Yet, you stay.

Why? Fear is at the core.

You stay, that is, until that magical day when enough is enough. Well guess what, my friends? That day has come. Hope can be a beautiful thing. Hope can also be extremely destructive and blinding.

For me, that moment came when the DNC and Wasserman Schultz colluded against Sanders, stacking the deck against him and manipulating the odds in favor of Clinton during the Democratic primary. That was the moment when enough really became enough. Clinton and the entire Democratic establishment are antithetical to the foundation of the United States and to true progressive values.

Now, don't get me wrong. By all means, support your down-ticket Berniecrats and progressives. However, I really think it's time that we revolutionaries shift away from the two-party system, because honestly, both parties are just destructive tidal waves of corruption — tidal waves that, this time, climate change is not responsible for.

That is why, this November, I will reject the lesser of two evils and I will fight for the greater good. I will support Green Party nominee Jill Stein, not because she's a woman or because I'm scared of GOP nominee Donald Trump, but because she's a true champion of progressive values.

Further

Lord, what would John Lennon have made of the Trump monster? Marking Thursday's 36th anniversary of Lennon's murder, Yoko Ono posted a plea for gun control, calling his death "a hollowing experience" and pleading, "Together, let's bring back America, the green land of Peace." With so many seeking solace in these ugly times, mourns one fan, "Oh John, you really should be here." Lennon conceded then, and likely would now, "Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."